BASIC CHICKEN STOCK

Lotsa Pastaby Michele Anna JordanWhen it comes to home cooking, chicken stock is the best all-purpose stock (professional chefs rely on veal stock). Chicken stock is easy and inexpensive to prepare, and chicken is available virtually everywhere. Keep in mind, though, that your stock cannot be more flavorful than the ingredients that make it; try to use free-range chickens, which have much more flavor than commercial, "factory-raised" chickens. You will use this stock in a wide range of recipes, including some of the pastas in this book.Yield: 6 to 7 cups. Preparation time: 10 minutes.Ready to serve: 3 hours.

3. Reheat liquid over high heat until boiling; reduce heat to simmer. Simmer until stock is reduced by one-third, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature. Store in refrigerator up to 5 days.

4. Before using stock, lift off and discard hard layer of fat that will form on top as stock chills. Chicken stock can be frozen up to 3 months.